Steve Curtin
Hire for cultural fit
A company’s culture is the byproduct of the collective actions, behaviors, and decision-making of its employees. And employees’ actions, behaviors, and decisions are informed by the organization’s guiding statements and core values. To sustain a desire...
Repetition, action, and accomplishment
Most sophisticated organizations have articulated a corporate mission, vision, or purpose statement and a set of core values. If you work for yourself or for a smaller company that has yet to contemplate its why and the root beliefs that guide employee behavior, then...
Create Alignment Through Constancy of Purpose
Earlier this year, at a live management training event for a sophisticated multi-billion-dollar global company, I posed the following instructions in succession:“Raise your hand if you consider yourself to be a purpose-driven leader.”“Now, raise your h...
Two types of KPIs
When you think about Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), what comes to mind? If you’re like most people, you think of metrics that matter to your industry and job function. If you work in a hotel, you may be thinking about KPIs such as occupancy, averag...
Connect every job role to purpose
Recently, I was a guest on a podcast with Wanda Wallace. She posed some great questions, including one about how to connect every job role, including support roles that operate behind the scenes, to the organization’s purpose.In reflecting on the quest...
Purpose-driven leaders are on a quest
For decades, leadership luminaries such as Abraham Zaleznik and John Kotter have examined the differences between managers and leaders. Managers were labeled with terms like “order” and “consistency,” while leaders were celebrated with terms like “visi...
What is My Team’s Aspirational Goal?
This is the final article in a 4-article series that explores each of the Four Questions leaders must ask to reveal the total job role to employees, connect daily work activities to organizational purpose, and inspire the collective pursuit of a common...
What purposeful actions and behaviors do I exhibit at work?
This is the third article in a 4-article series that explores each of the Four Questions leaders must ask to reveal the total job role to employees, connect daily work activities to organizational purpose, and inspire the collective pursuit of a common...
What values guide my actions and behaviors at work?
This is the second article in a 4-article series that explores each of the Four Questions leaders must ask to reveal the total job role to employees, connect daily work activities to organizational purpose, and inspire the collective pursuit of a commo...
What is my purpose at work?
This is the first article in a 4-article series that explores each of the Four Questions leaders must ask to reveal the total job role to employees, connect daily work activities to organizational purpose, and inspire the collective pursuit of a common...
Don’t conflate ESG, CSR, or DEI programs with organizational purpose
In the 21st century, there is an expectation that corporations, once aloof from societal issues, take a stand on matters that are relevant to their purpose and values. Regardless of whether they are known for being socially or environmentally progressi...
Increase your customer service strength
I recently received a delivery of a weightlifting system by a local fitness equipment company. I met the delivery truck in my driveway and gave the foreman a quick orientation about the best door to use, location of the weight room containing the old ...
While problems may be beyond your control, problem resolution is not
On February 27 of this year, I placed an online order for a Husky 52” mobile workbench from The Home Depot. I chose to have the product delivered to a local store for pickup to avoid the $79 delivery fee. After the order was complete,…
What pandemic?
Over the holidays my wife and I dined at two steakhouses in the Denver area. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we were not allowed to dine inside either restaurant. Instead, both restaurants had erected two 400’ sq outdoor tents with a seating capacity of ...
Tampering masks true performance
Last week, I placed an order for a case of wine that shipped via FedEx Home Delivery® on Nov. 25th. On Nov. 28th I received a text from FedEx informing me that my delivery was scheduled for the following day, Nov. 29th. The text stated…
Chat gone wrong
Imagine paying $216 per year for the privilege of receiving your monthly invoice at the correct address. In order to change the billing address on his account, CenturyLink chat reps led one customer on a 68-minute odyssey that would involve four reps, ...
Interpreting the Voice of the Customer
Voice of the Customer (VoC) is how companies hear, listen to, and respond to customer feedback about their brand, products, and services. This data comes from a variety of sources, including: Surveys (internal and external/third-party) Online reviews ...
Three simple ways to improve CX
There is a lot of talk about voice of the customer (VoC) in customer experience (CX) circles. Most of it has to do with sifting through lots of data to determine what customers say about their needs and their perception of how well companies meet…
Customer service in the wake of COVID-19
Last Friday, I had my teeth cleaned after my dentist’s office reopened as COVID-19 restrictions relaxed in my area. As expected, new protocols were in place, including: social distancing in the office requiring patients to call from the parking lot to ...
In times of crisis, reaffirm your purpose
I suddenly have a lot more time on my hands. It’s made me think about how, as a customer service consultant, I can offer value to clients at a time of unprecedented crisis where the primary focus, understandably, is survival. Then it occurred to me…